


Flowers

by ancienthaven



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Armin Alert x Reader, Flowers, MALE READER INSERT, Multi, Reader-Insert, Romance, flower shop, male reader - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-08
Updated: 2016-10-23
Packaged: 2018-05-05 16:20:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5381864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ancienthaven/pseuds/ancienthaven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>【Armin Arlert x Male Reader】 Flowers. Universally known as beauty in it's purest form. Much like love, no? First, the seed is planted. Then the crush; the stem, grows. After that, is the bud. Then finally, but not guaranteed, the blossom. However, unlike flowers, love rarely ever makes it to the blossom. Something always gets in the way.</p><p>Disclaimer- Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan characters belong 100% to Hajime Isayama.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

  _-Y/N-_

 

  
        “Hey, Y/n! Get out here, we’ve got customers!” I could hear the faint jingling of the shop’s bell as my elder brother shouted at me, telling me to get to work. Sighing, I picked up the bouquet I had been working on and took it to the counter, deciding to finish the display there. Pausing, I turned around quickly and walked back, grabbing the two vases I hadn’t been able to single out, and brought them back with me, placing them on the counter gently. I placed my supplies off to the side, on the counter beside the cash register so it wasn’t in the way of my work as I stepped out from behind it, walking over towards the three shorter teenagers. Two boys; a blonde and brunette, and a black haired girl. I took the time I had while walking to look them over.  
        The girl wore a white blouse, and green army slacks, along with a red scarf. Weird, it’s not that cold yet. Only the beginning of November, and we’re supposed to have a warm winter as well.  
        The brunette wore a simple off-white long sleeve shirt, rolled up to the elbows, with light brown pants and a black vest.  
        The blonde had on a plain dull blue long sleeve, also rolled up to his elbows, with light tan khaki pants.  
        “Hello, my name is Y/n. Is there anything I can help you with today?” I asked routinely, hoping my brother found it satisfactory. I’m great with the whole flowery creative part of this job, but working with customers… well, not so great.  
        The trio turned around quickly, staring at me. The blonde male smiled, while the girl seemed almost emotionless and the brunette seemed kind of… suspicious? “Uh… we’re loo–”  
        The blonde was cut off by the female suddenly and without warning, her cold, blatant gaze boring into me. “Do I know you?” I was shocked at the question, though I kept a straight face while I searched hers, trying to see if I could place the pretty girl somewhere.  
        “I’m afraid I’m not entirely sure, ma’am. You do seem familiar enough. Now, enough of that, is there anything I can help you with?” I flashed a small smile at the trio, hoping the girl would drop it. Because, sadly enough, I do recognize her from somewhere. I recognize her for the illegal underground fights. And that’s not something I’m willing to talk about here.  
        Recognition flashed over the girls face, but she kept her mouth shut as the brunette spoke. “We need a bouquet for a pregnant teacher.” He glanced around, taking a long, hard look at each bouquet we currently had out for display.  
        “If you could describe the teacher as best you can, I can make one specially for you.”  
        “Will that cost extra?”  
        “’Course not, it’s on the house.” I smiled, looking from the brunette to the blonde. He was smaller than the other two, but it seemed to fit him. He’s probably the shortest guy I’ve ever seen. But I have a feeling I’ll be seeing a lot more small people once I start at Kyoji High.  
        “She’s the art teacher. Likes pastels and cute things. That’s really all I know.” The brunette looked up at me, his face straight, but his eyes showing a lot more. It seems he doesn’t really care all that much about this.  
        “A-ah, she really likes pink and white…”  
        “Got it. If you’ll please wait by the register, I’ll be back in about ten minutes.” I said, trying my best to sound cheerful. I quickly walked into the back room, checking the flowers we had back there. “Pink and white, huh? And she likes pastels… so lighter pinks.” I whispered, quickly walking up and down the aisles, frantically picking out different flower breeds.  
        “Roses are classics… Lilies are fresh, young. They’ll be good, too. Hmm… Carnations and Chrysanthemums would look nice as well… maybe some Spray Carnations, too? I’ll grab some Eucalyptus and Foliage to put in, too. I’ll need that, it’ll make it look fuller, more natural.”  
        I spread the flowers and greenery out in front of me, then slowly started placing them in the ‘Practice Vase’. Basically, the vase I use to make bouquets perfectly. I spread the different flower breeds and colours apart, so there were no clusters, then quickly shoved in the greenery. Fixing it up, and making it appear neater, I pulled the bouquet out, making sure my hand wrapped around the stems tightly. Quickly wrapping the plastic around it, taping it together to make it stay properly, and to keep the flowers inside, I walked out to the front, where my brother was chatting up the customers.  
        “So you go to Kyoji High, eh? My little brother is gonna be starting there on Monday!”  
        “Who’s your brother?” the black haired girl asked curiously as the other two listened intently.  
        “Oh, he’s the guy you were ta–”  
        “Oh wow, look at that! It seems the manager has suddenly died.” I laughed awkwardly, glowering at my brother as I kicked the back of his knees, causing his to fall down where he couldn’t be seen. “Will this do? I’m afraid it isn’t my best work, but…” I trailed off, holding the flowers out towards the group of teenagers.  
        “Wow! This is beautiful!” the blonde exclaimed, grabbing the bouquet with wide eyes as a smile grew on his face. He stared at the bouquet with such admiration and excitement, I couldn’t help but blush at how adorable he looked. Startled by my reaction to the male, I looked to the side quickly, willing the blush to leave.  
        “We’ll take it.” The brunette mumbled, seemingly trying not to yawn. “How much?”  
        “Ah,” I quickly did the calculations in my head, looking up to the roof slightly for a brief moment, “That’ll come up to thirty three dollars, and twelve cents…” I said, glancing back towards the brunette for confirmation of the purchase.  
        “Alright,” he sighed, taking out his wallet, “I actually thought we’d be paying a lot more…” mumbling, he pulled out a ten, then a twenty and handed it to me before digging in the change pocket of his wallet for a toonie, loonie, a dime and two pennies. Once he found them, he handed them to me and I dropped the money into the cash register, quickly pushing buttons so the machine knew how much was now in the register.  
        “Would you like a receipt?”  
        “No, that’s fine.”  
        I smiled once more as I thanked them for their purchase, though the smile soon fell once they had turned around. I watched them leave, well, more like watched the blonde leave. My face flushed as I caught myself staring as his ass, watching it swing back and forth ever so slightly as he walked. The blonde looked back at me once more before he left the store, as though he could feel me watching him. Which, he probably could.  
        My mouth parted slightly as I let out a breath, and my eyes grew wide a bit, blush dusting my cheeks as we made eye contact, and I could feel myself getting lost in his beautiful blue eyes.  
        “Enamored already, huh?”  
        “Shut your bloody mouth, fuckface.”


	2. Chapter 1

_-Y/N-_

 

 

   
        Where the heck am I? I wandered around the halls, looking up from my map. This thing is useless. Sighing, I checked the room numbers on the doors I passed. I’m fairly certain the office is around here. I recognize that poster.  _Finally._  I chuckled lightly, opening the office door.  
        “Back already?” I flashed the secretary a smile, slightly embarrassed to be back again.  
        “I got totally lost.” Rubbing the back of my head, I tried to think of what else to say, “Is there someone that could show me around? I’m afraid I’m pretty much useless when it comes to reading maps.”  
        “I’m sure there’s someone,” the secretary then began looking through her computer, so I sat down to wait patiently.  
        “I can show him around. I’ve got him in my first class, anyway.” A deep voice sounded from the principal’s doorway, causing me to look up.  
        “Ah, alright Mr. Ackerman.” Once we had entered the hall, I tried my best not to freak out.  
        “What are you doing here, Levi?” I asked as calmly as possible, though I still earned a glare from the man half my size.  
        “I work here.”  
        “If you’re a teacher? But I thought my brother said you were a fighter… and you were always at the fights…”  
        “Your brother asked me to make sure you didn’t die. We both know how useless he’d be at the fights.”  
        “True, but I didn’t need a babysitter.”  
        “I would have gone to the fights anyway. I have a student who’s usually there. As a teacher, I need to make sure she’s safe.”  
        “You just like fighting.” I rolled my eyes at his response, and I managed to catch a slight smile from him. This is the guy that taught me to fight. Levi and my brother have been rather close friends since high school, though they met merely by chance. They were in different years, so they never would have met if some idiot hadn’t asked Levi to meet him in the gardens, where my brother had always spent his time. Apparently, Levi was even less pleasant back then. Levi had graduated that year, but my brother always went to visit him at his University, and if he wasn’t there, he was texting and calling. Levi really didn’t have much of a choice with the friendship, it was more or less forced on him. Though, he doesn’t seem to mind.  
        “We’re here.” Levi walked into a room, a permanent frown on his face. “Class, we have a new student.” I followed after Levi, already annoyed with the other teenagers. “This is Y/n L/n. Take a seat.” I glared at any and all students who seemed to be interested in talking to me. Not the best way to start at a new school, but I’m really not interested in being pulled into a conversation with a bunch of imbeciles.  
        Casually, I glanced around the room, already ignoring Levi’s lecture. I spotted a familiar blonde male, then the all too familiar black haired girl. She looked over at me the same moment I looked at her, and our eyes made contact. We stared at each other, eyes narrowing slightly as we dared the other to blink. Then, the bell rang. The blonde stepped up to the girl, resulting in her breaking the eye contact. Resulting in me winning the unofficial staring contest.  
        I stood up, slinging my messenger bag over my shoulder, not really caring to wear it properly, and quickly walked out the door. I could hear somebody calling out to me, but I kept walking, wanting to get away from the hordes of other students so I can breathe.  
        Eventually, I made it outside, but the voice had followed me. Sighing, I turned around, seeing the black haired girl. She immediately attacked me the moment I turned around, sending a flying kick towards my head. I easily blocked it with my forearm, my eyes narrowing.  
        “What a lovely welcome.” I sneered, not even bothering to look behind her at the small crowd that had formed.  
        “So it  _is_  you.” She sounded surprised. Not surprising. I used to have long black hair, and a ton of tattoos and piercings back when I was in the fights, roughly a year ago. I had let my hair grow out, so it was now my natural colour. I had taken out just about all my piercings, so I now only had a few simple ones; my lower lip was pierced near the right end, and I had a couple ear piercings. My tattoos aren’t really something I can get rid of, so they’re just covered for now. Though, that’s only because it’s slightly chilly outside. “You look different.”  
        “I’ve changed.”  
        “I can see that.”  
        “What the hell is going on here?” Levi burst through the crowd, knocking some of the students down, though obviously not caring. “Mikasa, Y/N. My office.  _Now._ ” He growled, quickly walking away.  _So the girl’s name is Mikasa, huh? Interesting._  
   
        “What were you two doing!?” Levi yelled immediately as the door shut, clearly furious. “Are you  _trying_  to get suspended already, Y/n?” he directed his attention towards me, and I stared at him in disbelief.  
        “The hell I am! Sam would kill me!” I glared at the shorter male. I could feel Mikasa’s eyes on us as I did so.  
        “Do you two know each other?” she asked, seemingly confused.  
        “Levi and my brother are friends.” I grunted, letting myself fall into a seat.  
        “As for you, Mikasa. I’ll let this one slide, but if you get caught fighting by another teacher, I won’t be helping you.” Levi shooed us out.  
   
        “Mikasa!” I heard two voices shout in unison, causing the girl beside me to turn around. I turned my head slightly, watching as the two boys from yesterday ran up to the girl beside me.  
        “Oh, you’re the guy from the flower shop.” The brunette stated. His voice held a confused tone, but as things soon clicked into place, realization spread across his face.  
        “Armin, Eren, this is the guy I told you about a while ago. You know, the one from the fights? He looks a lot different now… but he’s still strong!” she said excitedly, grabbing my arm and pulling me towards them. My eyes widened at the contact, and I instinctively ripped my arm from her grasp, narrowing my eyes in the process, though it didn’t seem to faze her. “He’s the only one that ever beat me!” my eyes widened once again at this new piece of information, staring at her in shock.  
        “There’s no way I’m the only person who’s beaten you.” I growled when I had gotten over the initial shock.  
        “Are you calling Mikasa weak?” the brunette glared at me, his body tensing and noticeably getting ready for a fight.  
        “Not at all.” I said, sarcasm dripping from my voice as I rolled my eyes at the shorter boy. He growled and swung his fist towards me, which I easily grabbed midair. He’s nothing compared to the girl and Levi.  
        “A-ah, guys don’t fight!” the blonde grabbed our wrists, separating us just as a teacher walked by. I tore my arm from his grasp, backing up slightly as a blush crept onto my cheeks.  
        “I have to go.” I said quickly, turning away and walking towards the gardens.  
        “Was he… blushing?” I heard Mikasa ask as I sped away, leaving the trio behind me.  _I’ll just skip the rest of my classes. I went to my first period, which actually takes up two periods, so technically I went to half my classes. I’m only skipping two. I’ll just hang out in the gardens for the rest of the day. The gardens here are supposed to be rather large and beautiful._


	3. Chapter 2

 

_-Y/N-_

 

   
        “I thought I find you here.” I heard an excited voice behind me, then felt a female’s body fling itself onto me.  
        “Hange.” I acknowledged the woman, whom also happened to be the head of the science department. I haven’t seen the woman in a while, though next semester I’m supposed to have her as my chemistry teacher.  
        “Levi’s pissed. He said you’ve been skipping his class for a past few days. He told me to find you.”  
        “I don’t really care for his class.”  
        “Is it his class you don’t care for? Or is it, oh I don’t know, that you like the blonde boy in it more than you’d care to?” my body tensed, though I wish it hadn’t. I knew Hange would feel it though my back, which her torso was still pressed to. It’s nothing unusual for her, not with me anyway, but I figured I should push her off before someone saw a teacher ‘groping’ a student.  
        “You’ve been talking to Sam.” I mumbled, standing up and causing the brunette to fall off me and onto the ground.  
        “Oh, please! Like I would have to get that sort of information from him!” she laughed as I pulled her up, “You underestimate my investigating abilities!”  _Oh yeah. She’s practically a genius. She not only has a science PhD, but she’s also got one for law. Really, she could have been an actual detective or a forensics specialist, which she probably would have enjoyed more. I remember her teaching me about blood splatters when I was younger. Sammy didn’t like that much._  
        “I guess.” I groaned, walking away from the tulips I had just been watering.  
        “You’re not going to skip my class next semester, are you?”  
        “Of course not. I look forward to your class. You know blowing stuff up is like, my favourite thing to do with you.” I flashed the girl a smile over my shoulder as I put the gardening tools away.  
        “Hello brat, shitty glasses.” I heard Levi’s voice behind me and my eyes grew wide as I mumbled a string of curse words.  
        “Levi!” Hange smiled, stepping over towards him, “I just discov–” Levi cut her off, walking over towards me.  
        “No more skipping classes.” He said sternly. I only nodded, super disappointed he had discovered me already.  
        “Oh, I almost forgot! Petra is looking for you. She’s been wandering the school like a lost little puppy,” Hange laughed as she sat on the bench next to the bed or tulips I had just been tending to. “She always got hopelessly lost in this school! You should probably go find her.”  
        I nodded, walking towards the exit. Guess it’s time to find my cousin.  
   
        “Gahh! Why didn’t I just text her!” I shouted at no one in particular, finally realizing I had a phone. “Where am I, anyway?” I kicked a stray bottle on the ground, taking my phone out quickly.  
        “Meet me out front. If you can’t find your way, get some help, cause I’ll never find you in here.”  
        I waited a few minutes, seeing if she’d reply. Which, luckily, she did.  
        “Right, see you there!”  
        I smiled slightly before jogging down the hall, trying to retrace my steps to the entrance. It took roughly ten minutes, but I still got there fairly quickly, with the consequence of getting yelled at by a few teachers as I ran past them.  
        “Petra?” I puffed out through my panting. I placed a hand on my hip, then with the other, I shielded my eyes from the sun. “Petra, you here?”  
        “Here!” a sweet voice called out. Looking down the steps, I saw Petra, and a girl I hadn’t expected to see; Sasha, my childhood friend whom I hadn’t seen in years, but still talked to. Both girls were wearing dresses.  
        Petra had on a white sleeveless dress, which was short in the front, but long in the back, with white heels to match.  
        Sasha wore a tangerine coloured dress with a white trim at the bottom, which stopped just a few inches above her knee. There was a dull rose coloured belt around her middle with a brass buckle, and her wedged shoes matched the buckle.  
        I let out a low whistle as I walked down the steps, my hands in my pockets. Petra did a little spin, and Sasha ran over to me, throwing herself in my arms.  
        “You guys look great! What’s the occasion?” I laughed as I wrapped an arm around Sasha, holding the other out for Petra to come join us. The orange haired girl smiled, slipping an arm around my torso in a makeshift hug as Sasha clung to my front, her face buried in my chest.  
        “I thought since we haven’t seen each other in a while, and since you and Sasha haven’t seen each other in literally years, today was a good day to get a ‘lil dressed up!” Petra chirped, smiling warmly at the brunette hugging me.  
        “I missed you so much!” she mumbled into my shirt before pulling her head back, “Let’s get food!” I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from laughing at the quick escalation and just nodded.  
        “Yeah, food sounds great. I missed lunch.” I rubbed the back of my head, allowing the excited brunette to drag me down the street.  
        “Why don’t we go to the mall? I’ll text your brother and get him to meet us there, then we can all get something to eat together. Sam and I have been planning to hang out when I got back anyways,” Petra suggested, placing a finger to her cheek as the thought, “Sam and I can head off afterwards so you two can catch up properly.”  
        “Alright, well, if we wanna get to the mall on the next bus, we gotta run!” I said hurriedly as I started running, pulling the two girls along with me, trying to beat the bus to the bus stop. “We are  _so_  not missing this bus!”  
        The three of us ran to the bus stop, laughing and just barely making it in time. The driver probably realized we were running to catch the bus and slowed down, there’s no way the three of us would have beaten the damn thing if he hadn’t.  
        Now, off to the mall!


	4. Chapter 3

 

_-Y/N-_

 

   
        “Ah, you guys can go do whatever now, if you want.” Sammy smiled as I twitched, quickly becoming annoyed with his antics. I mean, really? How many people do you need to flirt with?  
        “Right, let’s go.” I mumbled, taking Sasha by the wrist and pulling her out of the strange clothing store. We walked around aimlessly, chatting non-stop for a while, until Sasha’s phone rang.  
        “Who’s that guy you’re with…” she whispered out loud, barely audible over the hustle bustle of the mall. She frantically started searching the crowd, apparently looking for someone.  
        “Connie, where are you!?” Sasha called out, waving her hands above her head and drawing attention towards us. I could feel the heat rushing to my face as I grabbed the brunette’s arms, holding them down.  
        “What are you doing, you idiot? You’re drawing attention!” I hissed, glaring at the smaller girl, whom was now stifling her laughter.  
        “Uh… Sasha?” a timid voice sounded from behind me, causing me to spin around and stare at the small blonde standing directly in front of me. I glanced back at Sasha, wondering how she knew the boy. _He couldn’t be Connie, though… right? Mikasa called him and that annoying brat Armin and Eren, so one of those have to be his name._  
        “Armin! Are you here with Connie?” Sasha said excitedly, still looking around for this ‘Connie’ person. _So it’s Armin, huh? Cute._ I flushed, noticing my thoughts trailing off on their own.  
        “Yeah…” Armin trailed off, staring at me with a suspicious look, “I’m here with Connie and Marco. Connie’s hiding, and he sort of made Marco hide with him…” the blonde rubbed the back of his head, an awkward smile appearing on his face.  
        “Connie, c’mon! They already know we’re here!”  
        “Shhh!”  
         _Crash._ A book stand in the store next to us fell over, revealing two males; one short – like the blonde – and bald, the other much taller – though still short than me – with brown hair and the most adorable freckles I have ever seen. The bald one stared at us like a deer caught in headlights, while the other just stared at the books scattered on the ground in horror. We all just stood there, staring at each other, until a person came running at us. At that point, we started running as a group.  
   
        As we finally came to a stop, completely out of breath, Sasha threw herself at the shorter, bald male.  
        “Connie, you’re back!” she laughed, pressing her face against his before planting a kiss right on his lips. _Boyfriend, huh? Not surprised she’s got one… but I thought he’d be taller._ “Connie, this is Y/n! He’s been my best friend for years!” she exclaimed, pulling a chocolate bar from her purse and stuffing it into her mouth. I couldn’t help but smile at the display, they were cute together, and if he can handle her, he must be a good guy.  
        “Uh… hi.” Connie said, glancing to the side. I laughed, wiping an imaginary tear from my eye.  
        “Wow, I knew Sasha would have a boyfriend by now, but I really didn’t expect someone small than her,” I placed my hands on the back of my head, leaning back on my heels, “But it’s obvious you two are perfect together.” I smiled warmly at the obviously jealous and nervous male, completely forgetting about the other two.  
        “Ohmygod, Y/n, Connie is seriously the best boyfriend ever! He buys me _SO_ much food!” Sasha flung her arms around the male once more, nuzzling his cheek. I just stared at him in shock, surprised at this new fact.  
        “Are you fucking rich? I mean, you obviously know how much she eats…” I trailed off, watching the brunette eye a hot dog stand. Pulling my wallet out, I handed her a twenty dollar bill and she immediately took off, ordering hot dogs for the five of us. The bald teen just smiled, chuckling lightly as he watched his excited girlfriend.  
        “Jeez, I was scared for nothing.” Connie pressed a hand to his forehead, shaking head his slightly.  
        “So you _were_ jealous. Ha, you’ve got nothing to worry about. Sasha’s basically my little sister,” I stated watching the brunette as she pointed and gestured to the male behind the stand. “Besides, it’s obvious she’s crazy for you.”  
        “That’s true,” a deep, but sweet, voice chimed in from behind me. As Sasha started running back, with six hot dogs in hand, I gave Connie the nicest smile I could muster, while letting my eyes stay completely serious.  
        “However, if you hurt her, I will have to snap your neck.” I stated just before Sasha arrived, handing out hot dogs to each person, and keeping two for herself. Connie stared at me in shock, and I could detect a hint of fear in his eyes before Sasha started practically inhaling her food. The two males beside me laughed as Sasha grabbed Connie’s arm, dragging him down the street and gesturing for us to follow.  
   
        We walked down the street, Sasha and Connie chatting loudly, occasionally asking me, Marco, or Armin a question as we awkwardly followed them. I didn’t realize where they were leading us until we had already arrived. I stared at the large sign blankly, deciding whether or not to kill Sasha now or later. _Blossom Works. She led everyone to my flower shop. Why?_  
        “Y/n, it’s locked!” the brunette whined, staring at me as if waiting for me to whip out my keys and open the door. Sasha noticed my reluctance and flashed me _that_ look. _The_ _puppy dog eyes._ I clenched my teeth, looking to the side to try and avoid the stare, though failing miserably.  
        Sighing, I pulled out my keys, searching for a medium sized key with the flower shop’s name written on it. Quickly finding it, I shoved it in the hole and turned, pushed the door open, and stepped out of the way.  
        “Don’t touch any supplies, the shop has been pretty busy lately and cleaning up would be a pain.”  
        “Thank you for your hospitality, good sir!” Sasha bowed, skipping into the shop and immediately sitting on the counter. I shook my head, letting the three teenage males walk in before I walked in, shut the door, and locked it.  
        “So, do you work here?” Marco asked, examining the bouquets near the front.  
        “Work here? He basically owns it!” Sasha quipped, a large smile on her face. I sighed, shaking my head as I pressed two fingers to my temple.  
        “No, Sasha, Sammy owns it.” I walked over to Marco, kneeling down in front of the display he was currently admiring, and fixing it up, switching a few flowers around. “There, that’s better.” I mumbled, placing my hands on my knees and pushing myself back up.  
        “Wow, amazing! They looked great before, but now…!” Marco gasped, his eyes widening.  
        “Sammy did those, but he was probably half asleep. Mixing the flowers like that isn’t like him.” I turned around, placing a hand on his shoulder before walking away, spotting the blonde on the other side of the centre table, gently touching a carnation. My face flushed as I watched him, completely engrossed in the brightly coloured flowers. I rearranged a bouquet quickly before making my way to the happy couple by the counter. I tapped Connie’s shoulder, and watched Sasha.  
        “Go upstairs. There’s stairs in the back room. My room is down the hall, last door on the left. Don’t mess anything up,” I stated as Sasha semi-jumped off the counter, taking Connie’s hand and leading him away. “Oh, and Sasha? _Don’t_ eat all the food!” I shouted, listening to the giggling girl run up the stairs. I sighed, walking to the other side of the counter and leaning against it, popping my head up in my hand. I watched the two smaller males walk around the shop, impressed by the displays. The shop is rather interesting; the way it’s set up. In the centre, we have bright and colourful bouquets, but off to the sides are different. On the left side are the lighter colours and pastels, more common for those whom are about to get married or just prefer those colours. On the right, there are duller bouquets, still just as beautiful, but duller colours; whites, black, greys, dull and dark colours, etc. Those are more popular with the goths and rockers, or when Halloween rolls around. The front is a mixture of themes and our best bouquets, so as to attract more people. Whenever a holiday comes, we decorate and prepare accordingly.  
        “So, you and your brother run this shop?” Marco asked, now standing in front of me. I blinked, quickly coming back to reality.  
        “Yeah, though it’s mostly him. Since I’m still in school, I can only help out in the afternoons or on weekends.” I stated, watching the blonde on the other side of the store kneel down to examine a blue and purple pastel display.  
        Someone banged on the glass, staring directly into the store. Armin and Marco jumped, but I just narrowed my eyes, glaring at the man outside. I pushed myself off the counter and made my way to the door, unlocking it before swinging it open.  
        “We’re closed.” I growled, staring at the shorter male. His hair was a light, mousy brown, which he wore as an undercut, and his face seemed to be permanently frowning. His glare faltered slightly under my own, and he glanced in the shop.  
        “Marco, I thought you were with Connie and Armin.” He called out towards the brunette inside, whom was now walking over. I glanced over at him, my eyebrow raised as he smiled nervously.  
        “I am, but Y/n and Sasha joined us… Connie and Sasha are upstairs.” Marco smiled as I lowered my arm, allowing the loudmouthed male inside. He walked in quickly, sending a feeble glare my way as he grabbed Marco’s waist, causing the freckled male to blush deeply. I smirked, staring down my nose at the shorter teenager before smiling warmly at Marco as he began to speak once more. “Uh… Y/n, this is Jean, my um… boyfriend…” he whispered shyly, as though unsure about telling me. I ruffled his hair, laughing, before walking past them.  
        “I could tell.”  
        “Hey, Y/n! Where’s your stash? You still have a stash, right!?” Sasha charged into the open area, staring at me wide-eyed.  
        “Yeah, I have one. But it’s not candy like it used to be.” I stated as the door opened once more, this time Sammy, Petra and Hange walking in.  
        “Hey, we ran into Hange at the mall!” Sammy said, completely ignoring the fact that teenagers are scattered around the shop. Hange flung her arms around me, messing up my hair with her nimble fingers.  
        “I see Armin is here,” she whispered directly in my ear, causing a deep blush to appear on my face.  
        “I know.” I said, shoving the crazy lady away from me. I rubbed my temples with my thumb and fingers, my eyes closed as I tried to rid myself of the blush. When I opened my eyes again, I could see Jean and Connie pulling Marco and Sasha out the door, leaving Sammy, Petra, Hange and Armin in the shop with me. “Well, I’m going upstairs. Later.” I raised a hand in a lazy wave, walking towards the backroom and up the stairs. I heard Armin stutter a quick ‘good-bye’ as Hange shouted one, both leaving together. _I think Hange mentioned something about working with Armin a lot… something about extra lessons because of how smart he is._ I thought, flopping down on my bed, immediately falling asleep.


	5. Chapter 4

 

_Y/N-_

 

   
                I sighed, leaning against the counter as my elder brother closed the doors and flipped the ‘OPEN’ sign to say ‘CLOSED’. It’s Thursday, nine fifteen pm, and our last customer just left. Sighing again, I started at the piece of paper in my hands. A field trip form. The one I had gotten Nearly two weeks ago. Tomorrow morning is the last day to hand it in. Tomorrow morning is also the day the class leaves for the trip.  
                “Wow, it’s barely past nine and you’re already sighing? Whatcha got there, anyhow?” Sam chuckled, curiosity lighting up his eyes.  
   
                _“Alright, class. Make sure you hand in the form by Friday, two weeks from today. It’s the day we leave, so if you don’t hand it in by then, you aren’t going.”_  
_“We’re going camping? As a class trip?”_  
_“But we’ll be in cabins, so it’s not really camping…”_  
_“The trip is free, so I expect everyone to come. Miss. Zoe’s class will also be there. It’s a survival camp that’ll be held for one week. We’ll leave two weeks from today, on the Friday, then come back the next Thursday night. The Friday after the trip is a PA day, so there will be no school._  
   
                “Hey, Y/n! Snap out of it! What’s that piece of paper?” Sam pressed his forehead to mine as I folded the paper in half, debating whether or not to tell him. _If I don’t, and he finds out, he’ll get mad. Especially if I tell him I didn’t want to leave him alone to handle the shop by himself… “You shouldn’t worry so much about your big brother!” he’d say, “I can handle things myself for just one week!”_  
                Sighing once more, I handed the permission slip to him, waiting for his face to go from confused, to excited, then to angry once he sees the dates.  
                “Ooh, a class trip already? Levi’s and Hange’s classes together, huh? Well, lucky you, you’ve known both the teachers for years!”  
                “Mhmm…” I hummed mindlessly in response, not entirely paying attention.  
                “Wait, you got this two weeks ago? Why didn’t you tell me!?” _And now he’s mad…_ I let my head slip from its resting position on my hand, my arm soon falling to rest atop my head as I placed my forehead on the edge of the counter, staring at the floor.  
                “Didn’t know if I wanted to go.”  
                “Why wouldn’t you? It’s a great chance to make friends! All those tests of courage, that we both know you’d win. Truth or Dare, Spin the Bottle, staying up all night! Isn’t this the chance you’ve been waiting for?”  
                “I don’t know. I guess so. Although, I _do_ have friends, you know. I’m not _completely_ friendless.”  
                “Sasha and her boyfriend don’t count.”  
                “Well, there’s–”  
                “Levi and Hange are now your teachers, and Petra is our cousin. They don’t count either.”  
                “You’re making things difficult.”  
                “You need to make _new_ friends, Y/n! This is a new school; nobody knows your past.”  
                “Well, technically, Connie is a new friend.” I smirked, knowing Sammy would find it annoying.  
                “Y/n…” the white-haired male in front of me groaned, causing my smirk to grow bigger.  
                “Sammy…” I tried to groan, only to fail as I stifled my laughter.  
                “Stop laughing.” Sam droned, rolling his eyes as the corners of his lips started to twitch.  
                “I-I’m not laughing! I swear!” I croaked, barely able to breathe as I held it in, clutching my stomach.  
                Sighing, my brother and I looked at each other blankly. We stood there, staring at each other with blank faces before bursting out into ridiculous laughter, falling on the floor. I clutched at the top of the counter, slowly pulling myself up, though struggling to do so as fits of laughter wracked my body.  
                “S-sam? Are you alive?” I gasped, hauling myself up onto the counter. I pulled myself to the edge and looked down at my white haired brother, whom looked up at me, covering the lower half of his face as he tried to stop laughing. Spurts of giggles left my throat involuntarily as I crossed my eyes childishly whilst staring at him. A loud snort slipped through the fingers covering his face, sending us into yet another fit of laughter.  
   
                “Hey, Y/n! Don’t forget the field trip form!” Sam yelled, running through the front door of the flower shop as I started down the road. Pausing, I turned around, only to get hit in the face by a paper airplane. My right eye twitched and I grabbed the paper automatically as it fell, I stared at my brother ten meters away from me. “Have fun! And make sure you get to Levi’s house quickly! He may only be a block away, but he’s gonna get pissed if you’re late, so run! You’re supposed to be there in two minutes!”  
                My eyes widened as I grabbed the suitcase, tucking it under my arm the best I could as I gripped the paper in my hands and ran down the street, terrified at the idea of being late when the person I’m meeting is _Levi._  
                “It’s about time you got here. You’re right on time, though next time, come early.”  
   
                “Alright class, single file. Get on the bus.” Levi droned, his voice laced with annoyance.  
                “We’re going camping! Wow, this is going to be so fun! Think of all the insects and animals in the forest, Y/n! Think of all the future experiments!” Hange’s eyes practically sparkled as she thought of testing and dissecting, some of her students sighing whilst many of Levi’s cringed.  
                “No food or drinks on the bus, two people per seat.” Levi sighed as the last of the students climbed aboard the Grey Hound bus.  
                “It’s a good thing the bus can seat 55 people,” Marco smiled as he plopped himself down beside me in the back seat. I raised a brow, unsure why he was sitting with me rather than his boyfriend, Jean. “Since we’ve got 50 people, so a normal school bus wouldn’t seat us all, let alone our luggage.” The freckled boy chuckled, taking a look out the window.  
                I looked around the bus, at the various students, loud and quiet. Sasha was seated with Connie, Krista with Ymir, Mikasa with Annie, Armin with Eren, etc. I don’t even know most of the students here. Sighing, I reclined against the leather seat Marco and I shared, taking one last glance around the bus before settling for watching the landscape fly by through the window. I heard a yawn beside me, causing me to yawn in response.  
                “Tired?” I asked, a smirk replacing my frown as Marco leaned against me. The reflection in the window revealed Jean glaring at me, to which my smirk only grew.  
                “Very.” Marco yawned, closing his eyes as he used my shoulder as a pillow. Leaning my head against the window, I closed my eyes, allowing myself to drift off to sleep, the student’s loud chattering and Marco’s soft snoring as my lullaby.


	6. Chapter 5

 

_-Y/N-_

 

   
_“He hurt him! Quickly, call the ambulance!”_  
_“Get away! Stay away!”_  
_No… stop it…_  
_“He’s a demon’s child! A demon’s child, I say!”_  
_You’re… you’re wrong! I… I’m not… a demon’s child…_  
_“The ambulance! It’s here!”_  
_“Oh, good, get the boy on!”_  
_“You… you stay back! Stay away from my son!”_  
_B-but… but I… I didn’t mean to…_  
_“Stay away! Somebody lock him in a room until the police arrive!”_  
_I-I’m sorry! I d-didn’t mean to, I swear!_  
   
_“Did you hear? He did it again.”_  
_“Seriously? Again?”_  
_“Yeah… this time, the victim was sent to the ER.”_  
_Stop it… Stop it! STOP IT NOW! ALL OF YOU JUST SHUT UP! I DIDN’T DO IT!_  
_“I bet next time… he’ll kill someone.”_  
_“I don’t doubt it. My dad says he’s demon spawn.”_  
_“My mom says the same thing!”_  
_Stop it… it hurts… please…_  
_Please just stop! I don’t… I don’t want this… it hurts…_  
_It hurts… so much…_  
   
                A bloodcurdling scream woke me from my sleep. My body moved on its own, launching itself into a sitting position without my consent. Only then did I realize the scream was ripped from my own throat.  
                Startled, I snapped my mouth shut, trying to recall my dream. _It must have been a reason I woke up screaming…_  
                _Oh. That._  
                “Y/n? Are you alright?” a whisper sounded from the door way, snatching my attention from the nightmare-ish memory. _Armin?_  
                “Ah… where… where am I?” I rubbed my head, uncaring of the fact that Armin now kneeled before my shirtless body, concerned.  
                “We’re in the cabin, the one we share with Eren and Marco. We’re on a class trip, remember?” Armin furrowed his brows, worry clouding his eyes.  
                “Er… right.” I chuckled softly, trying to lighten the mood. Running a hand through my hair, I let out an airy laugh whilst glancing at the now empty doorway. I placed my elbows on my knees, letting my hands fall between my knees as my eyes drifted over to the small, blonde male beside me. “Where is everyone? It’s pretty quiet.”  
                “Most of the guys are still out by the fire. We were the only ones that left for bed so early.” Armin shifted, a nervous smile on his face. I nodded, turning my head to stare straight ahead, thinking about the dream that had aroused me from sleep.  
                “Sorry. Did I wake you?” the sound of Armin shifting to my right caused temptation to rise within me, enticing me to face him; hug him. I resisted, focusing on the wall in front of me as though it were telling me a rather interesting story.  
                “Ah, y-yeah… b-but it’s alright! I-I mean…” Armin trailed off, his stuttering causing me to raise a brow. I turned towards him, not able to resist seeing his face. “Are you… are you okay?” the blonde boy asked, his face straight and eyes clouded with concern once more. I stared at him, studying his face. I noticed a twinkle of curiosity in his eyes as he leaned forward a bit, interested in what I had to say. I stared at him for a moment, my face flushing a light pink as I thought,  
                “I’m… fine.” I stated simply, hoping he wouldn’t ask any questions.  
                “Right… of course you are.” Armin chuckled, a sad smile spreading across his face. I smiled as I looked down at my half naked body, staring at the scar on my stomach; it started at the right edge of my bellybutton, spreading across my stomach and over my side, stopping just before it hit my back.  
                “Armin?” Marco’s voice rang in my ears, causing me to look up and spot the freckled brunette. “What’re you doing here?” the brunette tilted his head slightly as he walked over to us, smiling, though confused.  
                “U-um… I uh…” Armin stuttered, trying to think of a reason for him to be in mine and Marco’s shared room.  
                “I kinda… woke him up,” I laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of my head, “I had a pretty freaky dream, I guess. Woke up loudly.” Marco nodded, understanding the vague answer.  
                “Hey, Armin you in here?” Eren appeared at the door, looking around the room as Armin stood up.  
                “Right here!” he smiled, quickly walking over towards his close friend. Eren nodded, turning around and leading Armin back to their room just down the hall from mine and Marco’s.  
                “Ah, the other futon is in the closet… I was going to set it up, but I wasn’t sure where you’d want it.” I smiled apologetically, looking up at the freckled male in front of me. Marco smiled, nodding as he walked over to the closet, pulling the futon out. He set it up beside mine, about a foot away. Sighing contently, he laid down softly, turning on his side to face me.  
                “What was it about?” his voice was barely above a whisper; his face seems to glow from the moonlight that entered our room, making him look almost god-like.  
                “It was just… a memory,” I said, glancing at him from the corner of my eye, “One I didn’t wish to remember.”  
                “Oh… well, good night, Y/n.” Marco smiled, closing his eyes slowly.  
                “Night, Marco.”


	7. Chapter 6

 

 

_-Y/N-_

 

   
                “Quit fooling around.” Levi’s voice rang throughout the large dining room, causing many of the students to flinch. “It’s time to hand in your paperwork and flowers.” The two classes looked up, various levels of worry clouding their eyes. Hange laughed, elbowing my ribcage as I handed her my work, completed with the flowers taped to it.  
                “Combining the simpler pieces of our classes was pretty smart, eh? Flowers- part of the environmental sciences, and part of the social and psychological sciences.” Hange laughed, throwing an arm around my shoulder. “And it’s something you can actually do well!”  
                “Bug off, Hange” I sighed, rubbing my temple as I shoved the work into her hands. Hange scrunched up her nose, displease by my actions. I could feel her eyes on me as I walked back to where I had been sitting, and went back to texting my brother about bouquet ideas for a picky bride.  
                “Okay! Everyone line up for a test of courage!” Hange shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth in an attempt to make herself louder. Cheers erupted throughout the room; a few groans mixed in. I grumbled a few insults – which she would likely never hear – as I turned around. “Pay attention! You’ll each go in the forest in groups of two. Each group will start at a different place. The duration of this test will be two hours! Mr. Ackerman and I, as well as the ten students who got the lowest grade on the work you just handed in, will be the testers.” Hange scanned the crowd of students as Levi finished marking the papers, handing them over to the brunette teacher.  
                “Hiroko Tachibana, Akela Kaialani, Kaiser Yeong, Samantha Blythe, Vivian Sabah, Sasha Blouse, Connie Springer, Monet Chandra, Ishmael Thom, Marcellus Wallace. You’ll be helping me and Lev- err, Mr. Ackerman! Now for how we decide the partners… Okay, I’ll write numbers on paper and put them in this bucket!” Hange pulled a bucket out from under the table Levi was currently sitting at, causing him to glare at her as he accidently hit him.  
                The brunette science teacher scribbled various numbers on the paper, obviously not caring about putting them in order; only that there are two of each, so they would match. “Okay! Line up behind Y/n and I’ll give you your numbers!” Hange took a few steps over to me as I stood up, ready to walk away from the silly ‘test’, until she shoved a piece of paper into my hand with a wink. Furrowing my brows, I open the folded paper. _Q? What does that even mean? It’s not even a number, you dummy._  
                I stared at the piece of paper, uncertain of what to do. The moaning and cheering of students behind me seemed to blur and fade into the background as I heard a familiar, sweet voice speak. “A… Q? But, Miss. Zoe, a Q isn’t even a number.” The blonde that seemed to always be on my mind spoke to the teacher, confusion lacing his angelic voice. Hange nodded, saying something along the lines of, “Q is meant for the special pair; it’s how we did things back when I was in high school. The two who got Q were meant to be.”  
                I sighed, realizing exactly what my brother’s friend was doing. _I wish she wasn’t so smart… then she wouldn’t have known to begin with._ Sitting backwards on the bench, I glared at Hange slightly before turning my face up to the sky, placing my arms on the table to support myself without hurting my back.  
                Taking a glance around at the students, I noticed Armin narrowing his eyes, also looking among the students, trying to spot who had the ‘Q’. His eyes fell to mine and he smiled, walking over quickly. Sighing, I pulled my arms off the table, dropping them onto my knees as I mentally prepared myself to talk to the adorable blonde.  
                “Y/n, do you have the Q?” Armin asked, tilting his head to the side. I stared up at his, watching every slight move his face made. I nodded.  
                The blonde male, whom now stood directly in front of me, smiled. Armin’s face contorted as he looked around, checking if everyone else found their partners. As I examined the shorter male, I noticed a light pink blush had erupted on his face as his expression grew thoughtful, and somewhat shocked.  
                “Alright everybody, the test starts now! Your goal is to stay out there as long as possible without getting scared!” And just like that, hordes of teenagers entered the forest with nothing more than a flashlight. I tossed yet another glare to Hange before following Armin into the dark woods, uninterested in the silly ‘test of courage’.  
   
                Armin squeaked as something moved in a nearby bush, causing me to chuckle. We’ve been out here for roughly twenty minutes, and neither of us has said a word. Bored, I internally sighed as I stopped to look around, growing less and less enthusiastic about being forced into a forest with the boy I’m falling for.  
                “H-hey, Y/n?” Armin’s soft voice assaulted my ears, resulting in a blush streaking across my face, thankfully unnoticeable in the dark. “About last night…”  
                I tensed at the mention of the incident, embarrassed. “What about it?” I asked nonchalantly, hoping he couldn’t see how tense I was.  
                “What was your dream about?” the blonde looked up at me, curiosity and worry mixing together in his eyes. I stared at him for a moment, my face utterly blank.  
                “A memory.” I stated plainly, turning away as I felt my face grow soft; as my eyes began to sting. “One from when I was younger. Just something silly.” I laughed bitterly, recalling the many memories like that one. Armin stared up at me skeptically as I pulled out my phone, then started walking. The blonde stepped closer to me as I took random paths, eventually meeting a dead end. I stared at the lack of ground before me as my brow twitched, annoyed that the teachers had said nothing about there being cliffs nearby.  
                Armin crouched down, taking a look over the edge, keeping silent. “You really want to know, don’t you?” I asked, causing him to jump. I placed a hand on his shoulder to steady him, so he wouldn’t fall, and raised a brow.  
                “H-how…?” Armin looked around, bit the inside of his cheek, then laughed quietly, “Yeah… b-but you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”  
                I turned my body to face the drop-off, and stared at the clear night sky. _The stars are beautiful._ “I caused a lot of problems when I was a kid. Hurt a lot of other kids. I was called a demon’s child. Didn’t like it much. It was a big deal back then, though it really doesn’t affect me now. The dream was just…” I trailed off, narrowing my eyes and furrowing my brows, trying to think of the right word. “Realistic. It was realistic.”  
                Sighing, I stared up at the moon as I felt the blonde male to my right turn to face me. “I can’t see you as a ‘demon’s child’.” Armin stated, causing me turn my head ever so slightly, looking at him from the corner of my eye. He stared up at me with eyes full of stubborn determination, his blue irises catching the light from the moon in such a way they almost seemed to glow. I was shocked, to say the least. Laughing slightly, I noticed a plant behind the shorter male.  
                I took a step closer to the male, so our chests were merely a foot apart, and leaned towards him further, causing his face to flush. Reaching my left arm out behind him, I plucked a baby blue flower from the top, taking half a step back. Armin looked at me, confused, a light red blush spreading across his cheeks. I held the flower up a bit, so h could see, a small smile on my face.  
                “A Rozanne Geranium. It’s hard to find them this shade of blue,” I chuckled, switching the flower to my right hand. Slowly, I brushed some of Armin’s hair behind his ear, placing the flower in his hair to hold it. The blonde’s blush darkened as my hand trailed down his cheek, my soft touch sending shivers down his spine. “I was right; the Rozanne really brings out your eyes.” My smile grew broader; my eyes softer, as my gaze fell to the ground, a light pink dusting my cheeks.  
                “We should go. The test has probably been over for quite some time. I bet your friends are worried about you,” I stated as I started down the path we had come, my heart ready to burst out of my chest.  
                “R-right!”


	8. Chapter 7

_-Y/N-_

   
                A sudden ringing emitted throughout the room, causing Marco, Eren and I to jump, startled by the sudden loud sound. Eren glared at me from across the table, unhappy I broke his concentration. I pulled my phone from my back pocket as Marco chuckled. Swiping at the screen, I opened the text, a small smile etching itself onto my face as I tried not to laugh, though failing miserably as Armin walked back in, a stack of thin, colourful plastic sheets in his arms. He furrowed his brows as I turned my phone, so the three boys could see the message.  
                “Skipping; Mr. Ackerman hasn’t found us yet!” I repeated the text out loud, a large smile on my face as Marco and Armin smiled, laughing and shaking their heads slightly as they looked at the picture. Eren stared at the picture, the corners of his mouth twitching as his frustration slipped away.  
                “They’re gonna get in so much shit,” he stated, a now amused smile set upon his face.  
                “Jean’s probably pretty mad at them, too.” Marco stated, setting back to work.  
                “Ha! I’d love to see that!”  
                “I kinda feel bad for Jean, though. He’s stuck with Connie, Sasha and Annie. The three people who barely do anything.” I sighed, remembering a project Sasha and I had to do together years ago. Sasha ate most of the time, leaving me to do the work by myself, though she _did_ make it up to me after. Bought me an entire cake and only ate half of it.  
                “That’s true. They might not even get their work done, which will mean no free time for them.” Armin sighed, taking his seat next to me, across from Eren.  
                “Jean will get pretty mad… but I don’t think the others really care.” I stated, slicing the end of a flower stem. _It’s now day four of the camp. On the first day, we didn’t do much, but I woke Armin up in the middle of the night. Embarrassing. On the second day, I did something even more embarrassing._ My face flushed at the mere thought of the night of the ‘Test of Courage’. _Yesterday… yesterday Levi and Hange assigned us a project; a project where we could do anything we wanted, but it had to be reasonable. Could be creative, could be an essay, a report, research, etc. We have until we leave; once you’re done and you hand it in, your group gets to do whatever and just enjoy themselves for the rest of the trip. Which is why we’ve got flowers. We spent the whole day finding them._  
                “Everything comes back to flowers for you, doesn’t it?” Marco asked, watching as I sorted through the large basket of flowers for the ones that would be useful.  
                “It seems so.” I answered mindlessly, plucking out a Rozanne Geranium. I froze, staring at the flower for a moment, forcing the blush from my face. I picked a few more Rozanne Geraniums from the basket, and placed them on the table, risking a glance at Armin, who had noticed. His face flushed red as he looked away from the flowers quickly, cutting the bottoms of the Dahlia flowers I had handed to him. Marco was handling the Ornithogalums and Amaryllis’, while Eren had the Paperwhites and Tubaroses. I fished out some blue and pink – mostly pink – Delphiniums, and started on the bottom of those.  
                Roughly thirty minutes later, Marco and Eren had gone to find some string, ribbon and flora. Armin acted as my vase, holding the flowers as I rearranged, added, and removed the flowers from his hands. The blue, white and pink theme was a simple, so it was rather easy to find some nice flowers. Preparing them, however, was not so easy. Marco caught on easily, and Armin wasn’t far behind, but it took Eren a little while, though he eventually got the hang of it. I could feel the blonde’s eyes on me as I focused on the flowers, my cheeks flushing every time I touched a blue Geranium. Eventually, I placed a Dahlia in the center, and four more around the edges of the bouquet in a square, with four Amaryllis’ forming a diamond shape, only slightly smaller than the Dahlia square. The Dahlias and Amaryllis’ were the largest of the flowers.  
                Gently, I rearranged the Geraniums, Ornithogalums, Paperwhites, Tubaroses and Delphiniums around the larger flowers until I was satisfied.  
                “We got the rest.” Eren said as he walked in the room, a handful of different coloured strings and ribbons. Marco popped in behind him with a small bucket of flora. I grunted in content as I took some flora from Marco, sticking it in the bouquet where it was needed before stepping back to admire my handiwork.  
                “Not my best, but with what we’ve got to work with, it’s pretty damn nice.” I laughed, still refusing to look at Armin directly, knowing he’d look adorable holding the bunch of flowers. Marco started sorting through the thin plastic sheets, ribbon and string, furrowing his brows as he tried to match them.  
                “Maybe we could just use string or ribbon to tie the flowers? I’m not sure if the sheets will work,” the brunette trailed off, glancing up at me from the table we had been working on earlier. I thought for a moment, considering his suggestion.  
                “That might actually work,” I whispered, quickly taking a seat next to the male as we plotted out the possibilities. Eren stood beside Armin, chatting quietly with the small male.  
                “We got it!” Marco and I shouted in sync, only to stare at each other in shock after words and burst out laughing, amused by our timing. Armin chuckled lightly whilst Eren looked at us as if we were idiots, which only made me laugh harder.  
                After a moment, when we had managed to stop our laughing, I gently rested my hands on top of Armin’s as I tied a simple white string around the flower stems, to keep them together. I could feel my face heating up, though I ignored it and kept working.  
                “Ribbon.” I demanded quietly, reaching my had out behind me. Marco placed the light blue ribbon we had decided on in my hand, and I immediately tied it in a bow around the string, to hide it. Perfecting the bow slightly, I stepped back, satisfaction written clearly all over my face. “There!” My eyes raised up to Armin’s, causing my blush to darken. I bit my lip as Armin’s face flushed and his eyes widened slightly at the sight of my red face.  
                “You really get into the whole ‘flower’ thing, huh?” Eren asked, taking a closer look at the bouquet.  
                “Uh, yeah well… I grew up with it. It’s what I’m good at.” I turned my gaze to Eren, a small smile on my face. “Let’s go take it to Levi now.”


	9. Chapter 8

_-Y/N-_

   
                “So only three groups are finished the project already, huh?” Hange examined the group of students in front of her, her eyes landing on me with a large, creepy smile. “We’re going to go into town and pick up some supplies, _but_ you’ll all be wearing specific outfits.” The Connie shifted awkwardly beside me, causing me to turn to look at him, his face full of worry.  
                “It can’t be that bad, right, Y/n?” he whispered, eyes flickering between Sasha and Hange. Sasha, whom was sitting on the floor, looked up towards me, placing her hand on top of her head, palm flat and facing up. Sighing, I took a chocolate bar from my jacket pocket and placed it in her hand, chuckling lightly as her eyes lit up.  
                “It’s probably going to be pretty bad,” I answered the shorter male, causing him to slump down beside me.  
                “I’ll split you into two groups now!” Hange yelled, taping two slips of paper to the wall. “Bunny outfits, and tail suits!” she cheered, pleased with her new way of torturing us. I could feel all the blood draining from my face as Connie grabbed my arm, his grip tightening with each passing second.  
                “What do the bunny suits look like?” a bored voice asked, resulting in everyone turning their heads to look at the owner of the voice. _Ymir, I think. I’ve never spoken to her, but apparently she’s Krista’s girlfriend._  
                “I’m glad you asked!” Hange laughed, opening the closet next to her and pulling out two clothing racks. “Each bunny outfit has a matching suit!” the brunette teacher slipping to hooks off the metal rods, one from each rack, and held them up. Both were mainly black, with a splash of colour. The undershirts were red, the skirt on the bunny suit was red, and the ribbon on the top at was red. The other matching suits seemed to be different colours.  
                “Connie, you’d look great in that bunny outfit,” I teased the male beside me, earning a look of horror from the bald teen.  
                “Connie, Sasha, c’mere!” Hange shouted as she placed the red suits back, taking out the green ones. Connie stared at Sasha in shock as she bounced up to the teacher, the chocolate bar I had given her moments ago hanging out of her mouth. The shorter teen stood up hesitantly, walking up to stand beside his girlfriend. “You guys are green! Connie, here ya go…” Hange handed the green and black bunny outfit to the bald male, causing Sasha to laugh and grab the tail suit.  
                “Let’s go change!” Sasha laughed cheerfully, hugging the suit to her chest as she dragged her boyfriend into the bathroom with her.  
                “I’m not sure I’m supposed to let them change in the same room,” Hange tilted her head to the side, staring at the bathroom door. “Oh well. Ymir, Krista, you’re orange!” the coupe stood up quickly and took the suits from their teacher, walking into another room and closing the door as the bathroom door flung open, revealing Connie clad in a green skirt, black sleeveless tail suit jacket, green sleeveless dress shirt, black pantyhose, white cuffs and a headband with black bunny ears. His face flushed red as he stumbled out of the bathroom, hands flying to the front of the skirt. The bald male stared at Sasha in horror as she flung an arm around his shoulders, her black and green tail suit fitting her perfectly.  
                “Hey, Y/n, isn’t Connie adorable?” Sasha placed her hands on the shorter teens shoulders, shoving him forward as Jean and Eren laughed.  
                “Oh yeah, super adorable.” I winked at the strange duo, causing his face to flush even darker as he took a seat next to me once more. Ymir barged back into the room, one hand holding her top hat, the other holding Krista’s hand. The blonde girl blushed lightly, but smiled as Ymir squeezed her hand whilst taking her seat once more.  
                Soon Mikasa was wearing the red bunny suit, while Eren wore the matching tail suit. Mikasa was pleased that her and Eren had the red suits; they were matching, and her scarf suited the outfit.  
                “Y/n!” Hange yelled, her eyes narrowing and lip smirking. “Here!” the brunette woman held out the yellow bunny suit, her eyes glinting evilly. I stared at her, my eyes dull.  
                “I’m not wearing that.” I stated flatly, leaning back as I stared down my nose at my elder brother’s friend.  
                “I knew you’d say that,” Hange pouted, putting the outfit back on the rack. “Okay, Marco! You’re wearing the blue bunny outfit!” Hange grabbed the blue suits and ran to where Jean and Marco were currently sitting, shoving the matching blue suits into their hands.  
                “W-wait, what?” Marco stutter, shocked by the sudden turn of events. Hange ushered the two into the bathroom before turning back to me, narrowing her eyes ever so slightly.  
                “Armin, you’ll wear the yellow bunny suit!” Hange gently grabbed the blonde male’s wrist and pulled him up, leading him to the clothing racks. Armin’s face flushed as he took the outfit hesitantly, giving a slight nod as he left to go change. Hange bounced over to me, the yellow tail suit in hand. “You go change, too!”  
   
                “We needed two bags of icing sugar, right?” Armin fidgeted under the gaze of multiple other shoppers as he tried to tug the yellow skirt down a little further.  
                “Hey, you’re pretty cute.” I heard a voice sound from behind me as I placed two bags of icing sugar into the small cart. Just as I turned around, a warm, shaking body bumped into me. Looking down at the blonde head of hair, I narrowed my eyes.  
                “A-ah, I-I uh…” Armin stuttered out, staring at the group of boys in front of him. I let out an exasperated breath as I placed a hand on the shorter male’s head, glaring down my nose at the annoyances just a few feet away.  
                “Bug off, idiots.” I said, my hand slipping to the small of Armin’s back as I guided him away from the group of males. “Okay, what next?” I asked, placing both hands back on the cart as we walked down the isle.  
                “Hmm… I think that’s it. Maybe we should check out and find Professor Zoe?”  
                “Yeah, sounds good.”  
                “Y/n! There you are!” a flash of brown came flying at me, nearly knocking me over as our bodies collided.  
                “Sasha, what the hell?” I shouted angrily, shoving the brunette off me as Connie walked up, laughing.  
                “We forgot the chocolate. Since you and Armin are the only ones not done yet, Ms. Hange sent us to get you to buy the chocolate.” Sasha stated, a large smile on her face. I narrowed my eyes, inspecting the girl’s face.  
                “Yeah, right. You totally ate the chocolate.” I chuckled, shaking my head as I licked my thumb, rubbing chocolate from the corner of her mouth.  
                “Same difference,” she shrugged, scooping an armful of chocolate chips into the cart.  
                “Alright, that’s probably way too much but whatever. Let’s go buy this crap.” I turned the cart round, heading towards the self-checkout.  
   
                “Hey, Y/n?” a soft voice graced my ears as I stared up at the sky, stretching my arms above my head, pleased with the grass tickling my bare skin.  
                “Yeah?” a flash of blonde hair caught my eye as a somewhat small body laid down next to me.  
                “Thanks.” Armin whispered, shifting onto his side so as to see me better. I continued to stare up at the clear sky, enjoying the warmth of the boy next to me, the cool grass below me, and the twinkling stars above me.  
                “For what?” I asked, glancing at the blonde from the corner of my eye, slightly confused.  
                “For helping me earlier. I didn’t know what to do…” he trailed off as I returned my gaze to the dark sky freckled with brilliant, sparkling lights. I felt a hand touch my own for a moment before trailing up my arm, resting on my bicep. My face began heating up as his cool fingers traced patterns lightly on my skin, his body inching closer to me, “I didn’t know what to do when those guys showed up… when we were at the store…”  
                “Oh. Yeah, no problem.” I bit the inside of my cheek, fighting the urge to turn to the male, knowing that if I did, our faces would only be a decimeter apart. I glanced at the male beside me as his breaths became silent and slow, indicating he had fallen asleep. Armin’s leg curled around my own as he hugged my arm to his chest, his face pressed gently to my shoulder. _Oh man, what’s with this situation?_  
                Sighing, I closed my eyes, deciding it’d be pointless to move.


	10. Chapter 9

_-Y/N-_

   
                Sighing, I rounded the corner, deep in pointless thoughts. _This camp is so boring. At least it’s the last day. We leave at… what time was it, again? Five? Something like that._  
                “Armin? Will you be alright?” Marco’s worried voice graced my ears as I rounded yet another corner, bored out of my mind.  
                “Ah, yeah.” Armin laughed nervously as he tried to smile, “I mean, I already knew they were together…” the blonde trailed off as he saw me, causing me to raise a brow.  
                “What’s up?” my eyes narrowed as I spotted tears glossing over the smaller male’s blue orbs. Marco locked his eyes on mine for a moment before moving his gaze over towards the open door. Raising a brow, I placed a hand on the brunette’s shoulder and leaned over slightly, taking a look inside.  
                “Wow, they’re getting pretty into it. Shouldn’t someone stop them? Levi will get pissed.” I rolled back on my heels, examining the blonde in front of me. Armin squeezed his eyes shut to stop the tears as he looked down, bangs falling to cover his face. Marco leaned into me as I gave him a questioning stare, uncertain what was going on.  
                “Armin’s liked Eren for years. You’re probably the only person who hasn’t noticed, but you’re also kinda new… Mikasa and Eren started dating a couple weeks before you showed up, actually.” My eyes widened as the information sunk in. I could feel my heart crack as I stared down at the blonde, immediately pitying the smaller teen. “Would you mind taking care of him? I was supposed to meet Jean fifteen minutes ago… and he’s already really pissed.” Marco grumbled as he read through the messages his boyfriend had spammed him.  
                “I really don’t understand what you see in him,” I chuckled, rolling my eyes playfully, “Jean’s temper is just as bad as Eren’s. Guess you and Armin are pretty similar that way, huh?” Marco raised a brow as my voice grew bitter, causing me to sigh, “Yeah, I’ll take care of him. I’ll take him to the lake or something, try and cheer him up.” I shooed the tall brunette away as I placed a hand between Armin’s shoulder blades, leaning down and picking up a rock.  
                “Sorry… seems you always have to come to my rescue.” Armin mumbled, crossing his arms as his lip quivered.  
                “Hmm, seems so. Guess it’s become quote the habit.” I chuckled as I tossed the rock up and caught it easily. “Now, should we warn those idiots, or let Levi know?” I asked myself out loud, causing the blonde next to me to look up in surprise. I pressed my hand into Armin gently, pushing him away from the door as I began to walk away, uninterested in the pair of horny teens on the other side.  
                Turning ever so slightly, I chucked the rock through the door, causing Eren to yelp in surprise. The sudden loud noise startled the blonde, causing him to jump and give me a questioning glance. My hand fell from the blonde’s back as we continued forward, walking without a destination in mind.  
   
                “You really like him, huh?” I whispered as I heard another sniffle come from the boy.  
                “Yeah,” Armin laughed as he looked up towards the sky, leaning back to get a better view.  
                “Why?” the question slipped out before I had the chance to stop it, causing my cheeks to flush lightly. Armin stared at me, surprised by the question.  
                “I…” he trailed off, staring out over the open lake we now sat by, “Have you ever liked someone, Y/n?” the question caught me off guard. I watched the blonde quietly, my eyes softening as I began to clue in.  
                “Yeah…” I whispered, studying shorter male’s face.  
                “Then you know… you can’t really explain why… you like someone…” Armin’s voice began to quiver as he hugged his knees to his chest. My heart lurched at the sight before me, my hands began to twitch.  
                “I hate seeing you so sad.” I stated calmly, trying to mask the emotions threatening to overflow. Sighing, reached towards the trembling male, tucking a soft lock of hair behind his ear. Armin stilled beneath my hand, glancing up towards me. I leaned towards him, slowly closing the gap between us. Armin’s eyes widened just slightly as my lips hovered above his.  
                I sighed, pulling back slightly and planting my lips on his forehead, surprising the blonde male. “Why can’t it be me?” I mumbled, unaware I had said it loud enough for Armin to hear me.  
                “The bus is here!” Levi’s voice swept throughout the entire camp, causing me to stand up.  
                “Guess we better get going!”


	11. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM BACK, I HAVE A LAPTOP, AND I AM WORKING ON GETTING BACK IN THE GROOVE  
> ENJOY MY FIRST CHAPTER IN MONTHS, I REALLY HOPE IT DOESN'T SUCK

_-Y/N-_

            A loud clap of thunder sounded, soon followed by a streak of white light across the sky. Startled, I clutched my blankets, staring at the screen before me as I waited for the next one. But there was nothing. Then, banging. I jumped, turning my head to face the wall I had just been leaning against.

            “Yo, Y/n.” a familiar, muffled voice called out, “I think someone’s at the door.” Furrowing my brows, I stared at the wall, as if I could see him on the other side.

            “So?”

            “So... go get the door.”

            I sighed, mumbling a string of curse words as I stood up, just a little shaky. The wind rattled the windows, rain pitter pattered on the roof. _It’s getting pretty rough out._ I busied myself with the flashlight as I hurried to the main door, trying my best to ignore the eerie atmosphere.

            Faint knocking, rattling, was coming from the front, and I realized Sam was right; someone was at the door. Another thunderous clap as I opened the door, followed again by a flash of white light, highlighting the young man’s face.

            The first thing I noticed was that he was drenched, drenched to the bone, the second thing I noticed… was that it was Armin. “W-what are you… eh, never mind that, you’re completely soaked! Jeez, get in,” I muttered, motioning for the short blonde to enter the shop, “You’re going to catch a cold if you stay like this… come on, I’ll take you upstairs.” He said nothing, just nodded and followed me, careful not to hit anything as we walked through the shop.

            It’s been two days since I found out Armin likes Eren. It’s Saturday night, and… I haven’t seen or spoken to Armin in over forty-eight hours.

            I lead the shorter male through the main room, through he back room, and up the stairs. I directed him to the bathroom, letting him know to undress there and that I’d be back with a towel and a change of clothes. He did as he was told, not saying a word, not smiling.

            “They probably won’t fit well… but it’s better than wet clothes.” I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, even if just a bit. No need to be so sombre, after all.

            A small smile flitted across Armin’s face as he took the clothes, “Thank you,” he whispered, then shut the door gently. I leaned against the wall, beside the door, waiting patiently for the blonde to exit.

            The door opened, slowly at first, then all at once. Armin stepped out, glancing around quickly before letting his eyes settle on me. He had rolled up the bottoms of the pajama pants I had given him, so he wouldn’t trip, but he hadn’t bothered to do so with the grey jumper. The jumper had three and a half pixelated hearts on the bottom left, and would have suited him well if it were his size. The sleeves were far too long, everything was far too long, but it was cute. Armin looked so small.

            I sent him a soft smile, and jerked my head to the side slightly, motioning for him to follow. I lead him to my room, pushing him back gently so’s he’d sit on my bed. Wrapping my soft, dull red blanket around his shoulders, I whispered, “I’ll go get some hot cocoa.”

            When I came back, Armin had drawn his knees up to his chest, his arms wrapped around his legs as he balanced at the edge of the bed. I handed him a steaming cup of cocoa and took a seat at my desk, right beside my bed, so I was directly in front of him. “So,” I began, “Why are you here?”

            Armin looked up, just briefly, then began to blow on his hot cocoa, biding his time, forming his words. “I um… I was at Eren and Mikasa’s…” he started, I frowned, this can’t be good, “They were all over each other, of course. It didn’t really bother me, but…” he took a breath, “I remembered the trip… and… all the time we spent together… how you treated me…” he swallowed, I took a deep breath, my face growing hot, “I know you like me.” He stated simply.

            My heart pounded violently against my ribcage, my entire body was tense, it was hard to breath, my face felt as though I had dipped it in boiling water.

            I chuckled.

            “Guess I’m not all that great at hiding how I feel.” I took a sip of cocoa, successfully burning my tongue, the pain helping keep my mind off how embarrassing the situation was.

            “I’m sorry… I know I shouldn’t be here, considering how you feel, but…” tears glossed over his usually sparkling, blue irises. I smiled, setting my mug down, and kneeling in front of him.

            “Don’t worry about that, Armin. It’s fine, you can come here whenever you need to.” I tucked a lock of hair behind his ear, growing more concerned by the minute, “Are you alright? With the whole Eren, Mikasa thing?”

            Armin closed his eyes for a moment, just a moment, and nodded, flashing a smile as though to try and reassure me. “I’m fine. It hasn’t really been bothering me much the past couple days.”

            “I’m glad,” my hand trailed down his cheek and I stood up, glancing at the clock, “It’s pretty late. You should get some sleep… you can use my bed; I’ve got things to do. If you need anything, just call for me, alright?” the blonde nodded, and I grabbed my mug of cocoa.

            Just as I reached the door, Armin called out to me. I paused, looking back. “Yeah?” he stood up, quickly making his way to me. We stared at each other for what felt like hours, but, in reality, was only a few seconds. He grabbed my collar gently, standing on his tip toes, and kissed my cheek. I stared at him, wide eyed, for a moment, then my face burst into various hues of reds and pinks.

            “Thank you so much, for all you’ve done for me. Good night, Y/n.” he hurried back to my bed, and buried himself in my pile of blankets. He looked so small.

            “Good night, Armin.”


End file.
